


Courage

by orphan_account



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bellamy's heart needs a pep talk, Clarke and timing, Courage, Echo is the tragic hero, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hugs, Kisses, Self-Doubt, and fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 00:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14758875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Bellamy is left feeling empty after the morning ripped his chest open.





	Courage

Courage

It was damn hot, the sun was apparently trying to fry them living. Bellamy’s head kept spinning for hours. What a day. His sister had placed a peck on his cheek as a final warning. His little precious girl had threatened him and it hurt him more than that time when she had out-right smashed his face after Lincoln's death. Back then, it had been the Blake rage train. They both tended to lash out and it was usually him who had to suffer the consequences of her anger. He could handle that. But now, he had to face conditions to her love as he had none in return. This imbalance would tear him apart.  
To make things worse, Raven and Murphy got captured. Apparently, Emori had handed herself in too, just to stay with him. Bellamy got why how ever terrible it made him feel. His Spacecrew fell apart piece by piece though he had so carefully thought through every step.  
Then, there had been those other kisses from Echo. A short and soft one of relief that they both seemed to be ok. And a second, quick peck on the cheek as a form to say goodbye. He was miserable at keeping promises. He had failed his sister by leaving her alone in this goddamn bunker. Back out came a monster.  
Everything had turned upside down since they had landed. He could not blame Echo for leaving. He tried to recall what it had felt like to press his sister to his chest for the first time in more than six years. Tried to remember the feeling of disbelief and pure joy as he had found out his Clarke fucking Griffin was alive. But those emotions had turned to ash. Everything seemed to crumble within his grasp. As he replayed those memories, beads of sweat streamed down his back and daylight started to fade. 

Of course, he had noticed the stares Clarke and Gaia exchanged during the whole afternoon. The priest of O’s death cult eyed Madi like prey. Clarke would try to protect her at all cost. Kane, normally the voice of reason, was gone and had left on bad terms with Octavia. Bellamy did not have the heart yet to find out what dark secret was buried in there. He felt trapped, caught between stools after a mere week down on the ground. Eligius and Wonkru went to war. And there was the other thing, the biggest of them all. Clarke had not died. She was very much alive and fiercely fighting for what she thought to be right. There had been glimpses of recognition. The head and heart. The trust she still placed in him, the appreciation she showed. And yet he sat there and watched life happen to him.  
He was done watching. No matter how ugly things would turn out to be again. The one thing he had learnt out of all his many lessons was to move. With his head and heart so busy to catch up, he had not noticed what had been so obvious to Echo. Of course, he loved her. Loved what they had built in space. He loved their peace. The comradery they developed in the sky. It had nothing to do with what had happened on the ground before, the countless occasions that gave them reason to hate each other. On the ring they had found forgiveness, even love. But, they were back down and all the people around had not witnessed them bond. Had not seen what they turned out to be. And still, even if they had seen, he knew some things had stayed up on the ring. Their peace most of all. He was back to fight or flight mode and Monty’s words echoed in his ears, to stay up, to not throw themselves into oblivion again. One look into Clarke’s face let him know it had never been an option though. More than he loved peace he had missed his sister and was glad to have found her against all odds.

As the sun finally set and this day came to a close, he decided to do something about it. Don’t be the bystander in your own story. Clarke left Madi in the Rover after kissing her goodnight. She headed for the tent in which Indra recovered from her wounds. O and Echo were nowhere to be seen. Good. This was his chance.  
He jumped down from the box he had sat on the better part of the day and stretched his limbs. Three deep breaths were meant to do the same for his head, but it failed. It did not shatter his resolve. Now or never. In firm, wide steps he crossed the distance between his crate and the tarpaulin behind which hid Clarke. A lump formed in his throat. Nonetheless he entered the tent and knelt down next to her. She looked up quickly before she returned her gaze to her task. Indra was asleep, or she had at least the decency to pretent. 

After finishing the bandages on another knocked-out patient, Clarke side-eyed him. “You ok?” Ever so gently. For a while he had no words in response and just mirrored her glances instead. He felt the tears under his lids, which threatened to shroud his vision. In two steps she came over, settled down beside him, not daring to break the silence. All his bravery seemed to abandon him once more. What had he been thinking to intrude here? “Hey, you ok?” Clarke repeated her own words as well as touching his hands this time. His fist tightened, and he swallowed hard. “Don’t give up on Octavia yet. We’ll make this work. I’ll leave in the morning to get Madi away from Gaia’s claws. Maybe your sister just needs time to adjust…” “It’s not about her” he spat out too loudly and regretted his outburst instantly. “Not really” he added in a whisper. She trusted him with her plans and tried to comfort him. It did not work but he valued her attempt no less. “We’ll get Raven out of there. I promise” she offered, her eyes as bright as the moon in the sky. Brave princess he thought. ‘Always’ replayed Raven’s voice in his head. He clenched his jaw to get it together.  
“I’ll come with you. And so will the others. We’ll never leave each other behind ever again” he said, proud of his coherent sentence. “But that’s not why I came” he finished. “Why then?” He recalled her eyes in the morning. The disappointment and confusion. The threat of his sister before, the relief and the farewell of Echo after. “You know why” he replied.  
Both his hands rose to her flushed cheeks and he was done waiting. His blood boiling and his heart out of any rhythm made him move. It was gentle and shy but it was a promise he meant to keep. So he kissed her on both cheeks. Then her forehead, and at the very end he aimed for the centre of his world, the middle of her face. He did not see her reaction as he had closed his eyes. But what he felt, the hands on his skin, thumbs drawing cirlces on his back, let him know she would give it a try.

**Author's Note:**

> This has a prelude where Echo had the guts to end it in "Farewell". It was not easy. But, when has being brave ever been easy?
> 
> Sorry for the typos and errors. Not a native speaker.


End file.
